Approval and Inspection Requirements - Class 1a, 10, 10a

What Are Class 1a, 10 and 10a Buildings?

  • Class 1a: A standalone house or secondary dwelling such as a granny flat or townhouse
  • Class 10: A non-habitable structure like a garage or carport
  • Class 10a: Sheds, pool pump enclosures, or similar outbuildings

Do I Need Plumbing Approval?

A plumbing permit is generally required before any work begins. Your licensed plumber or drainer must confirm this before starting, in accordance with Section 39 of the Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019.

Under the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018, councils may offer 2-day fast-track approvals for low-risk plumbing work on Class 1 and Class 10 buildings.

Council has chosen not to adopt this fast-track option.

This approach ensures:

  • Consistent, high-quality customer service
  • Efficient allocation of Council resources
  • Compliance with community standards and regulatory requirements

What to Submit to Council

To apply for a permit, email the following to plumbing.crm@frasercoast.qld.gov.au:

Forms and Fees

  • Form 1 – Application for plumbing, drainage, or on-site sewerage work
  • Pay relevant application fees (refer to Council’s Schedule of Fees and Charges)

Plans

  • Site Plan: Show buildings, sewer mains and connection points, boundaries, easements, and invert levels
  • Floor Plan: Indicate location of plumbing fixtures
  • Elevations Plan: Building elevations
  • Sanitary Drainage Plan: Include fixtures, drainage design and levels, ORG (overflow relief gully), reflux valves, etc.
  • Water Supply Plan: Show connection points, water meters, and backflow devices

Sanitary Drainage Requirements

  • A site classification report must be provided in accordance with AS 2870-2011.
  • For sites classified as H, E, or P, a sanitary drainage articulation plan must be prepared by a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ) or a hydraulic consultant and submitted with the application.
  • Existing Class 10a buildings (e.g., sheds) may be exempt from providing a site classification report; however, a drainage articulation design must be submitted showing H2 expansion devices as a minimum.

Specialised Applications

  • Prefabricated Buildings: Submit Form 7 and inspection certificates (Form 18a or Form 19) for any previously installed and inspected plumbing or drainage work
  • Greywater Use Facilities: Include treatment plant type, layout, setback distances, and site/soil evaluation
  • On-Site Sewage Facilities: Include treatment plant details, layout, design statement, approval certificate, and site/soil evaluation. Also complete Section 8 on Form 1 with make, model, and current TPA number for HSTP
  • Secondary Dwellings & Dual Occupancy: Provide plans showing metering, drainage separation, and separate vents/ORGs for each dwelling (e.g., attached/detached secondary dwellings, dual key, duplex, granny flat, studio)

Plan Requirements

All plans must be:

  • Legible and to scale (e.g., 1:100 or 1:200)
  • A4 for general plans, A3 for hydraulics
  • Include fixture legend, designer name/contact, owner name, site address, and correct lot/plan number

Forward all documentation to plumbing.crm@frasercoast.qld.gov.au

Permit Documentation

  • Council will assess the application within 10 business days.
  • If further information is required, an information request will be issued.
  • Once all documentation is received and fees paid, Council will issue a plumbing permit within 10 business days.
  • The permit will include a sanitary drainage plan template for the dwelling/building.

Important:

  • The template must be forwarded to the responsible person before work starts.
  • The responsible person must mark up and complete the sanitary drainage plan and present it to the plumbing inspector during the booked inspection for verification.
  • A final copy must be scanned and emailed to plumbing.crm@frasercoast.qld.gov.au before booking the final inspection.

How to Extend or Amend an Approved Permit

  • Submit Form 2(PDF, 222KB) (application to amend a permit, including extension of time)
  • Provide amended plans and any other relevant supporting documentation
  • Pay applicable extension/amendment fees

Forward all documentation to plumbing.crm@frasercoast.qld.gov.au.

Inspection Requirements

  • Before booking any inspection, a Form 7 (Notice of Responsible Person) for all aspects of the work must be submitted and received by the plumbing administration team.
  • Plumbing inspections must be booked in advance for all relevant stages of work (e.g., sub-drain, house drain, water rough-in, final, on-site sewage installation, or other relevant stages).

Sub-Drain and House Drain Inspection Requirements

  • At the completion of each stage of the drain and before the booked inspection time, the responsible licensed person (plumber) must mark up the plan to accurately represent the installed work and present it to the plumbing inspector for verification.

Final Inspection Requirements

Before booking your final inspection:

  • All stages of work must be inspected and passed (FCRC will not accept Form 3)
  • Plumbing systems must be fully installed, operational, and compliant
  • Hot water systems and TMVs must be correctly set

Documentation required prior to final inspection booking:

Additional for Greywater/On-site sewage facility:

  • Commissioning certificate
  • As-constructed plans (matching approved stamped plans)

Failure to submit all documents may result in cancellation of your booking or a re-inspection fee.

Who Can Book a Final Inspection?

  • The responsible person (usually your licensed plumber)
  • Homeowners can contact Customer Service:

How to Book a Plumbing Inspection

  1. Request access to the Plumbing Calendar from Council
  2. Log in to the online system
  3. Ensure a Form 7 has been submitted prior to the first inspection (no Form 7 = no attendance)
  4. Book a time slot for each inspection on each dwelling/unit (allow 48 hours for processing)
    Note: Booking ahead is essential
  5. Receive email acknowledgment of your request (not confirmation)
  6. Wait for confirmation email from Council’s Business Support Team

Cut-off time: No next-day bookings after 4 pm. Same-day and phone bookings are not accepted.

Inspection Duration and Large Projects:

  • House drain and sub-drain inspections: 30 minutes
  • Elevated pipework inspections: 15 mins
  • Rough-in inspections: 15 minutes
  • OSSF inspections: 15 minutes
  • Final inspections: 15 minutes
  • Large/complex projects (e.g., multi-storey or multiple units): Multiple slots are required

Note: Each stage of work on each dwelling or building requires its own inspection. A single booking only covers one inspection for one stage on one dwelling/building. If your project has multiple stages or multiple dwellings, you must make separate bookings for each.

  • If booked time is insufficient, the inspector will end the inspection at the scheduled time, and an additional booking will be required.

Not sure how many slots you need? Contact plumbing.crm@frasercoast.qld.gov.au.

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